Electric motor for use on alpha constant-current variable-voltage system



Feb. 16 1926.

'6. AUSTIN ET AL ELECTRIC MOTOR FOR USE ON A CONSTANT CURRENT VARIABLE VOLTAGE SYSTEM v Filed Oct, 10,

1924 4 sheets-sheet 1 /NVENTOR6 GILBERT Aw77/V, JAMES COLQUHOUN mCFARL-ANE, AND W/LL/AM flLA/V MHCFA/QLANE.

Feb. 16,1926. 1,573,508

G. AUASTIN ET AL ELECTRIC MOTOR FOR USE ON A CONSTANT CURRENT VARIABLE VOLTAGE SYSTEM Filed 3 10, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 JAMES CObquHOuN MAcFAeLAA/E, AND W/bA/RM ALLAN MACE'VZLANE.

Feb. 16,1926. 7 1,573,508

G. AUSTIN ET AL ELECTRIC MOTOR FOR USE ON A CONSTANT CURRENT VARIABLE VOLTAGE SYSTEM Filed Oct. 10. 1924 4 Sheets-Sha'et 3 1J0; Fly-5.

'. INVENRDKJ:

GI BERT Ausrmr, vJflME COLQUHOUN MACFAaAAE, AND WILL/AM ALL/1% MACFAR-LA/YE.

Feb. 16 1926. 1,573,508

G. AUSTIN ET AL ELECTRIC MOTOR FOR USE ON A CONSTANT CURRENT VARIABLE VOLTAGE SYSTEM Filed Oct- 10, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

/ 2 :41 5 4-\, NYE/170,25:-

G/LBEZT AUSTIN, JAMES CCILQUHOUN MACFZELANEIAND WILL/AM ALLA/V MA FABLA/VE.

Patented Feb. 16, 1926.

' :UNITD STAT GILBERT nus'rrn, sense continuous naorannann, nun trimaran: annals imorennnun, or enneoow, courtesan.

Application filed @ctoher id, 3924.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that we, GIEBER'T Ausrrrr, l Calderwood Road, Newlands, Glasgow, Scotland, JAMES Commons Maornninnn, Braehead, Cathoart, Glasgow, Scotland, and 'Wrnmm ALLAN MAorAsLANn, Alderwood, Gathcart, Glasgow, Scotland, subjects of the King of Great Britain, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Electric Motors for Use on a Constant-Current Variable-Voltage System,

, of which the following is specification.

The resent invention concerns improvements in or relating to electric motors for use on the constant current variable voltage system. Motors for operating on this sys-= tem'produce constant torque, and it uncontrolled, would rise todangerous speeds; the regulationof the; speed is usually effected by shifting the brushes on the commutator to a positioii giving more or less torque as necessary.

The object of the present invention is to orovide", for use on such a system, motors aving fixed brushes, which motors will air tomatically give, above normal speed, torque speed characteristics equivalent, as may be desired, to a series, shunt or compound wound motor operating on the parallel" system.

According, therefore, to the present in vention there is combined with an electric motor, having fixed brushes for use on a constant current variable voltage system, a dynamo electric machine (hereinafter reierredto as a regulator) having its arms.-

ture driven mechanically from the motor and connected in series with the motor field winding and so arranged that the current produced thereby. will oppose the current in the motor field winding circuit, and having its field in series with the motor armature; preferably the regulator armature is mounted upon the motor shaft so as to rotate therewith. The current in the motor field circuit may be derived from the main line circuit by connecting it across a resistance in the latter circuit, the said resistance having a. suitable potential difierence between its ends, or it may be derived from a separate source of supply having constant voltage. In the first case the regulator field may form part of the said resistance and a. separate potentiometer may be coupled as a shunt across this resistance, the derived cir- Serial 230. 7423 77,

cuit being connected across a. suitable part of this separate potentiometer.

The various features of the invention will now be described with reference to thesecompanying drawings but it is to be under stood that this is by way of eXemplifica-tion and not of limitation.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a diagram of the connections of a motor and its associatedparts;

Figs. 2 to 8 are diagrams of modified con nections.

Referring first to Fig. l, the motor is of standard construction and has fixed brushes and, if desired, may have interpoles. armature 1 is connected by the conductors l 1 in series with the main line 2, 3 and is adapted to be cut out by the main switch 4 which completes the line through the hypass s, before disconnecting the motor from the line. Upon an extension of the motor shaft there is mounted the armature of a small being hereinafter referred to as the regulater. A neutral point contactor 7 is provided to short the connection between the parts 2 and 3 of the line; it is operated mechanically and automatically by or :irom the control lever of the control resistance or potentiometer (to be described) when the said lever is moved tochange the position of the contacts, the arrangement being such.

that when the potentiometer is in neutral position the motor is short circuited.

The main line current is arranged to flow in series through the motor armature 1 andthe field windm 16 of the regulator.

The field winding 6 of the motor is separately excited, and this exciting current may be derived from the main line circuit by suitable conducting means, for instance, the conductors 6, 6 which conductors are condynamo electric machine, the latter nected as a shunt to the said main line circuit across a resistance 5 inserted in the main circuit. This resistance 5 may be used directly as a potentiometer regulator as in Fig. l; or it maybe a. fixed resistance, or a portion of the main circuit containing a. resistance sulficient to provide the necessary pressure drop (such as a field Winding or brake magnet coil), and a separatepotentiomet-er regulator may then be connected as a shunt to that portion of the main line containing such resistance, see Fig. 2. This construction reduces the current passing through the winding 16 at starting, thus weakening the field 1n which the armature 11 revolves and so delaying the rise of the reverse voltage roduced by this armature until the motor is well started.

Should it be convenient the excitation current may betaken from some independent source of constant potential.

The motor field winding 6 is connected as a shunt to the resistance 5 (Fig. 1) or potentiometer 5- (Fig. 2), and the armature 11 of the regulator is inserted in series with this derived circuit and is so connected that its voltage opposes that which feeds the exciting'circuit. The line current will divide at one terminal of the resistance between the two circuits and will unite at the other terminal thereof; at zero speed the line current will divide-in proportion to the conductivity of the two circuits and under this condition with full field on the motor winding 6 and full line current through the armature 1, the motor torque will be a maximum.

As the motor revolves, the regulator armature 11 will produce an E. M; F. opposing that appearing at the terminals of the potentiometer and therefore the motor field flux will be correspondingly reduced and with it the torque, more, and more, as speed increases until the reverse volt-age produced by the regulator rises to almost the same value as that at the terminals of the potentiometer, when the speed will be a maximum and the torque a minimum, thus producing a result similar to that produced by a series motor operated on the parallel system. v

The torque-and-speed curve may be varied according to the degree of saturation adapted in the motor design.

Up to this point both the motorand the regulator have been worked as motrirs, and, while a small amount of energy is wasted in heat at the resistance or potentiometer, some of the energy in the derived circuit reappears as torque due to the regulator, Should the motor be driven, as for example by a falling load, so that the reverse voltage of the regulator armature 11 rises beyond the volta e across the potentiometer terminals, then t e motor field current and therefore the polarity of the motor will be reversed, and it will become a generator and will add voltage to the line. The

regulator likewise acts as a generator, raising the voltage across that part of the potentiometer in circuit with its armature and increasing the current through that art.

If it is desired to permit a higher normal motor speed than that which could be attained under the conditionskiust described but with similar torque-speed characteristics, this can be done in two ways- (1) Bydiverting some of the current from the regulator eld winding-16 through an adjustable byass 21; this will reduce the regulator fiel flux and therefore the regulator voltage and conse uently more current will flow in the motor eld from the potentiometer or other source of supply. The zero-torque condition will then be reached at a higher speed.

, (2) By increasing the resistance of the potentiometer, which would have the same efiect as increasing the motor field flux and therefore the torque. This method is a convenient one for increasing the start ing torque.

Referring now to Fig. 8, the torque and the speed of the motor may alternatively winding 6 are in series across these two rings.

NN are two neutral studs, and when the contact brushes 28, 29 are upon these studs, there will be no potential diilerence between the rings or bars and therefore no current will flow in the derived circuit and consequently there will. be no torque on the motor; but

on sliding the contact brushes in one direction a potential diflerence between the rings will be produced and a corres onding current and flux will he produce in the field winding 6 so that the motor will rotate, its speed being determined by the position of the Contact brushes and being varied, as desired, (by changing the position of the brushes) from no-speed to the maximum arranged for on the potentiometer. It will, of course, be understood that if the contact brushes are moved in the reverse direction from mid-position the polarity of the rings and therefore the field current of the motor will be reversed and consequently the motor will rotate reversely.

Fi 5 shows a potentiometer similar to that in Figd but connected as a shunt to the main line circuit.

Referring now to Fig. 6, if it is desired to provide a motor which will maintain full torque from zero speed-over a wide range, or which will give any special torque-speed characteristic, as for instance one similar to that of a compound motor on the parallel system, the regulator may be provided with an additional field winding 16 coupled in series with the regulator armature 11 and sequent u on the increase in the E,

nemesis to oppose the flux produced in the regulator main field winding 16.. When, therefore, the motor is revolving at low speed and the current in the derived circuit is large, the flux of the regulator field is kept at a low value, thus permitting large torque on the motor shaft and maintaining this torque un til high speed is attained. When, however, the current in the derived circuit begins to alter as the speed increases there is a twofold efi'ect operating to limit the speed 2- (c) The voltage of the regulator in opposition to that of the potentiometer rises, due to the increase in speed of the regulator armature.

' (h) The flux of the regulator field is increased, due to the reduction of the opposing current in the subsidiary field windin conii/i. r. generated y the regulator armature because i of its increase in speed,

The torque-and-speed characteristic of the motor may be further modified, for on special purpose, by applying any of the wel known methods of field windings, such for example as putting; an extra winding on. the motor or regulator fields coupled in shunt to eitherof the armatures. Such an arrangement is shown in Fig. 7 where the additional field winding 6; isaddcd to the motor field, being coupledin shunt to the motor armature 1 and being so connected as to assist the winding 6.

4 lt'will be obvious that the exciting circuit may he derived from a separate source of constant voltage supply instead of from the fall of potential in a portion of the main line as described, and the potentiometer and regulator will operate'in exactly the same manner.

According to a further modification the connections of the Lvarious partsma-y be as shown in Fig. 8.. For the pur'wse of this invention the regulator armature ll is in series both with its own field 1.6 and the motor field 6, the armature ll heing so connected as to assist the main line current fiowing through it and to oppose the current which would naturally fiow through the field winding 6. Therefore as the speed rises, the E, M. F. of the armature ll will increase and will tend to increase the current flowing through itself so providing easier path through itself than through the field winding 6 and so reducing the current which would otherwise flow through the field wind ing. tl. Thus the armature ll field 6 and 16 are in series with one another and form a local circuit inserted in the main line circuit in series with the motor armature l, lit will be seen from the foregoing that by any suitable combination such as those de scribed and by a proper adjustment of the values of the field E. M. Ffs, a motor can be made to give a wide range of torque-speed having its armature windings connected in series with the field winding of the motor and so arranged that the current produced thereby will oppose the current in the motorfield winding circuit, and having its field winding in series with the motor armature;

and means for mechanically driving the armature of said dynamo electric machine from the motor.

2. In combination, an electric motor having armature and field windings "and having fixed brushes for use'on a constant current variable voltage system; conductors for connecting a main line circuit to said motor; adynamo electric machine having its armature windings connected in series with the field winding of the motor and so arranged that the current produced thereby will 0ppose the current in the motor field winding circuit, and having its field winding in series with the motor armature; a resistance in said conductors and in series with the field winding of the dynamo, a potentiometer connected as a shunt across said resistance and said dynamo field windings; means for connecting the motor field winding and dynamo armature windings across said potentiometer; and means for mechanically driving the armature of said dynamo electric machine from the motor.

3. In combination, an electric motor having armature and field windings and having fixed brushes for use on a constant current variable voltage system; conductors for connecting a main line circuit to said motor; a dynamo electric machine having its armature windings connected in series with the field winding of the motor and so arranged that the current produced thereby will oppose the current in the motor field winding circuit, having its field winding in series with the motor armature; an adjustable bypass across said dynamo field winding; a resistance in said conductorsand in series with the field winding of the dynamo, said dynamo field windings forming part of said resistance; a potentiometer connected as a shunt across said resistance and said dynamo field windings; means for connecting the motor field winding and dynamo armature windings across said potentiometer; and

lid

means for mechanically driving the armature of said dynamo electric machine from the motor.

4. In combination, an electric motor having armature and field windings and having fixed brushes for use on a constant current variable voltage system; conductors for connecting a main line circuit to said motor;

5. In combination, an electric motor hav-,

ing armature and field windings and having fixed brushes for use on a constant current variable voltage system; conductors for c0nnecting a main line circuit to said motor; a dynamo electric machine having its armature windings connected in series with the field winding of the motor and so. arranged that the current produced thereby will oppose the current in the motor field winding circuit, and having its field winding in series with the motor armature; a resistance in said conductors and in series with the field winding of the dynamo, said dynamo field winding forming part of said resistance; a potentiometer havingtwo parallel portions connected as a shunt to the resistance; means for connecting the motor field winding and dynamo armature windings across said potentiometer; and means for mechanically driving' the armature of said dynamo electric machine from the motor.

6. In combination, an electric motor having armature and field windings and having fixed brushes for use on a constant current variable voltage system; a dynamo electric machine having its armature windings connested in series with the field winding of the -motor and so arranged that the current proarmature of said dynamo electric machine from the motor.

7. In combination, an electric motor having armature and field windings and having fixed brushes for use on a constant current variable voltage system; an additional field winding on the motorconnected across the armature circuit and arranged to assist the motor field winding; a dynamo electric machine having its armature windings connected in series with the first mentioned field winding of the motor and so arranged hat the current produced thereby will oppose the current in the motor field winding circuit. and having its field winding in series with the motor armature; and means for mechanically driving the armature of said dynamo electric machine from the motor.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures.

GILBERT AUS'ilN. JAMES COLQUHQUN MACFARLANE. WlLLlAM ALLAN MACFARLANE. 

